mothballs
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He suggested that Johnson use some well-known methods to get the bear to leave: mothballs, ammonia-soaked towels, bear spray.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 4, 2025
A new sofa with firm cushions and pristine fabric outshines an old, dusty, worn-in couch that smells like mothballs.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 26, 2022
Growing up, restaurateur Andy Kalish associated two smells with Friday nights: his grandmother's chicken soup and mothballs in his grandfather's closet.
From Salon ● Apr. 16, 2022
That system is long gone, relegated to the mothballs after the judging scandal at the 2002 Salt Lake City Games.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 15, 2022
She smells a little musty, like sweat and paper and mothballs.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
